


Red Flames

by frecklesarechocolate



Series: Ella!Verse [19]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Babies, Domestic, Domestic Castiel/Dean Winchester, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Schmoop, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-15
Updated: 2013-09-15
Packaged: 2017-12-26 16:42:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/968235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frecklesarechocolate/pseuds/frecklesarechocolate
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Someone has painted flames on the side of the Impala.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Flames

The thing about little kids is that they're almost always... well, messy. Jack and Robbie are no different. Their hands are usually sticky, due to contact with a variety of substances, from strawberry jelly to homemade paste to finger paints. Every few days, Cas does a special load of laundry just for the boys' clothing, because it's usually covered in all different kinds of stains: reds, blues, and yellows.

So, of course, rules have been set down. Strict rules about where they're allowed to paint and paste and color, where they can eat, and what they are and are not allowed to touch.

They are _never_ allowed to touch the Impala unless their hands have been inspected in advance, and they've been washed - yes, again, Robbie - regardless of the outcome of the original inspection.

So when Dean goes out to the garage, he's not expecting the big red streak on the side of the car. He drops the can of oil he'd been planning on putting into the car, and it falls to the floor with a clatter. He dimly hears it go rolling off toward the side of the garage, but he ignores it in favor of kneeling down by the car to see just what the hell is going on with the car.

It's a bright red streak of... well, he's not sure what it is, but it's on the driver's side door, and it looks like... "A flame?" Dean says to himself. He reaches out a tentative finger to see if it's dry, whatever the substance is, and finds that it's still slightly tacky. "Goddammit."

Dean strides from the garage into the kitchen, where Cas and Ella are chopping up vegetables for dinner. "Where are the boys?" his voice is a low growl.

Cas's head pops up from the cucumber he's been slicing and he frowns. "What's wrong?"

"There's red paint on the car." He holds up his hand, showing the tips of his fingers, now crimson from the not quite dried paint. "And unless either one of you did it," here, he points at both Cas and Ella, who is still quietly cutting the carrots. "Then that leaves the boys."

Cas puts the knife down on the counter and wipes his hands on a towel. "Ella, please finish cutting the vegetables. Dean, I will go and talk to the boys."

Dean opens his mouth to protest, but Cas just points a finger at him. "Sit and make sure Ella doesn't cut herself."

"Papa, I can chop vegetables..." Ella begins, but she trails off when Cas shakes his head sharply. She ducks her head and returns her focus to the carrot. Dean again tries to say something, but Cas puts his hands on Dean's shoulders and tries to push him down onto a stool. Dean doesn't go willingly, but he sits eventually. He taps his fingers on the countertop while Cas goes upstairs to talk to the boys. Most of the morning, there’s been an ongoing soundtrack of chatter and motorcycle noises from their bedroom, but when the last of Cas’s footsteps sounds at the top of the stairs, they boys go quiet.

Ella concentrates on cutting the vegetables, not meeting Dean’s eyes, while Dean continues to tap on the counter. He’s pissed, yeah, and he can’t decide which he’s more pissed about: the paint on the car, the fact that the boys were in the garage by themselves in the first place... wait a minute.

“Ella?” Dean asks, his voice quiet and even. Ella puts down the knife carefully.

“Daddy?” she asks in a cautious tone.

“Were you in the garage earlier today with the boys?”

Ella grows pale, her normally caramel colored face taking on a greyish tinge. “Maybe?”

Dean sighs, scrubbing his face. “You know you’re not allowed in there by yourself.”

“I know, Daddy. But the boys really wanted to look at the car and they were about to go in, and I thought that if I went with them it would be okay.” The words tumble out of her mouth in a rush.

“Were you with them the whole time?” Dean asks, and Ella nods her head vigorously almost before the entire question is out, her dark curls bouncing up and down. “And were you watching them the whole time?” Ella’s head stops bobbing, and she shakes her head just once.

Dean reminds himself that Ella had thought she was doing the right thing by accompanying the boys, and he breathes deeply. _They’re kids. Ella’s only 13, she’s still learning_ , he reminds himself. He tries to smile at her to show that he’s not too mad, and it must have the desired effect because the tenseness in her small frame disappears.

“I’m really sorry, Daddy,” she whispers.

“Come here honey,” Dean says, and Ella hesitates the merest fraction before coming around the island to stand next to Dean. He folds her into his arms and hugs her. “You’re grounded for this weekend, okay? You know better than to go into the garage, and you especially know the boys aren’t allowed in there. There's a lot of stuff in there that could hurt you guys.”

Ella nods her head in his shoulder, and it’s at that moment that Cas enters with the boys, leading Robbie by the hand, holding Jack in his arms.

“The boys have something they’d like to say to you, Dean.” Cas puts Jack down next to Robbie, and they both look at the floor and mumble an apology. Cas clears his throat and they apologize a little bit more loudly. Dean catches Cas’s eye over Ella’s head and smiles, just slightly.

“What did you two use to paint the Impala?” Dean asks.

It’s Robbie who answers, naturally. He’s taken on the unofficial role of spokesperson for the two of them. “Cray’la paint.” He holds out his hand, and in it is a nearly empty bottle of bright red Crayola washable paint. Dean sighs a little in relief; he’d been afraid that the boys had managed to get hold of paint that wouldn’t wash off.

“I’ve already lectured them about going into the garage without an adult,” Cas says, and here he looks at Ella. “And their sister doesn’t count.” Ella looks appropriately sheepish that this.

“Daddy already grounded me,” she says in a small voice.

Jack looks at Ella, startled. “Are we gonna get grounded too?”

Dean lets go of Ella and kneels down next to Jack and Robbie. “Well, you did something you knew you weren’t supposed to.” Jack nods, his lower lip trembling. He’s not quite sure what being grounded means, but it sounds kind of nasty to him. Dean sees that Jack’s scared, and so he pulls him close. “C’mere. You and Robbie are going to help me clean the car, and no tv for either of you for three nights.”

Robbie protests. “But there’s a new cartoon that I want to see.”

Cas says, “Robbie.” He doesn’t have to say anything other than that, because Robbie stops protesting immediately, his small jaw shutting with a snap. Dean squeezes Jack lightly and then stands, his knees cracking loudly as he goes.

“Cas, can you finish up with dinner?” Dean asks, taking Jack’s hand. Cas nods. “Okay, everyone responsible for painting the car come with me.” They all head to the garage. “What were you guys trying to do, anyway?” Dean asks Robbie.

“Make the car go faster,” Robbie says with a shrug.

“With paint?” Dean asks, not certain he’s following the logic.

“Jet engines,” Jack says as if this is the most logical thing in the world. “Red flames come out of the engines.”

Cas snorts in laughter as he hears Dean say, “Oh. Of course.”

 


End file.
